Category: African Americans
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Mae Massie Eberhardt (Mary Graves)
1915-2007 Mae Eberhardt was a union leader and activist for nearly 35 years. During most of her union work from the 1950s to 1970s she is listed as being a Newark resident. Born in Virginia as Mary Graves, Mary moved to Orange after her marriage. Working at the Orange Domestic Laundry, she joined AFL 284,…
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Myrtle L. Bruton Hartsfield
1934-2001 Myrtle Hartsfield was the first woman to be named to Newark’s Alcohol and Beverage Control Board in 1981. She said, “I am very proud to be the first woman on the Board. We do have a lot of lady tavern owners here and I welcome the challenge.” She served until at least 1984. At…
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Melba Moore
1945 (1940-1942*) – Melba Moore is a Tony award winning, Grammy nominated singer who had many top hits in the 1970s and 1980s. Melba Moore was born Beatrice Melba Smith, in New York. When she was 9, her mother married Newark jazz pianist Clem Moorman and she moved to Newark. The family lived at 283…
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Sheila D Banks
1956-1992 Sheila Banks was 2nd in the Class of 1974 at Weequahic High School. She was the first Black women to graduate from Steven’s Institute of Technology in 1978 (the school began admitting women in 1971). She received an engineering degree, with a concentration in chemical engineering. In 1974 she completed a Cornell University program…
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Huldah Clark
1947- Huldah Clark made international news in 1961. Her family lived in the Christopher Columbus Housing Projects, with 6 children. Her father could not afford living expenses for the whole family, and also believed schools in Newark were segregated “Jim Crow schools”. When he received an offer from Nikita Khrushchev that would cover his daughter’s…
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Ida Clark
1921-2006 Ida Clark was a tenant advocate and NHA Commissioner, who had a “colorful and charismatic” personality and was known as “Mother Clark”. Ida was appointed as a NHA commsioner in 1986, where she pushed education and programs for youth. She served as Chair and Vice Chair. This made her the first tenant in the…
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Theresa David
1923-2004 Theresa S. David was the first Black teacher to be hired permanently at a High School. Previously, Black teachers were only hired on temporary status or as subs. She shows up on the results of the Civil Service test for “secondary Spanish” in the Newark News in 1947, but other sources give her start…
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Eva A Jennings
1863-1935 Eva A Jennings was an early Black graduate of Newark High School. She went to Commerce Street School and was the first Black graduate since Malvina Sears and Elida Lowery, making her the 3rd Black graduate. Eva is shown on the Newark census in 1870 and 1880. In 1880 she lived with the family…